The Adrian College men's soccer team extended its home winning streak to three and kept its playoff chances alive by upsetting third-place Hope College with a 1-0 overtime win in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association action Wednesday at the Multi-sport Performance Stadium.

Adrian captain Ryan McCarthy scored at 94:31 in the first overtime after Pat Bradley hit a service off a free kick into the box. Hope goalkeeper Ethan Beswick saved the initial shot, but after a scramble in front of the penalty area, McCarthy won the ball, the battle and the game.

"We've been preaching all year about sticking together, paying attention to detail, keep fighting and grinding with the goal of it paying off," Adrian coach Chris LeFevre said. "We did all that tonight and it did. The guys believed in each other and got the result we all knew was obtainable."

Hope outshot Adrian 22-8 in the contest (10-3 on goal).

"We attacked, attacked, attacked, attacked, attacked, and they did a counterattack," Hope coach Steven Smith said. "They put nine guys behind the ball, 10 guys behind the ball sometimes, one guy out, try for a counterattack, hopefully they get fouled. They send a long ball in. That's the way they play. It's not the game I'm used to. It's not the game I enjoy, but it's effective."

Although there was no scoring in the first half, the teams traded chances with no team really outplaying the other.

The second half belonged to Hope (8-5, 3-5 MIAA). The Flying Dutchmen generated several golden scoring opportunities off throw-ins by Grant Neil, who was able to deliver a high velocity long ball into the penalty area at will that proved challenging for Adrian (5-9, 3-5). With just under 21 minutes remaining in the second half, one of those throw-ins resulted in a shot off the Adrian crossbar and the rebound was dangerously close to Hope scoring with a mad scramble for the ball that resulted in a clear by Matt Davis.

"Often times, Neil's throw-ins are worth one or two goals a game, just not tonight," said Smith.

Adrian's best chance in regulation came when Travis Smith knocked a ball past Hope's back four and a streaking Nick Minshall struck the ball well, but Beswick made the save.

The Bulldogs have won their last three home games -- all shutouts. McCarthy has scored in each of those three wins. The team is also riding the play of freshman goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulous, who has posted shutouts in his last two starts and is ranked in every MIAA goaltending category.

Coming into the contest, Giantsopoulous led the conference in saves (80), save percentage (.851) and saves per game (7.27).

The Bulldogs have done a full reversal since these same two teams started conference play. At that time, Hope was ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division III and had trouble with Adrian. In that game the two teams played 2-2 for nearly 66 minutes, before Hope scored two late goals and won 4-2.

Page 2 of 2 - "We have a young team and there's going to be lots of growing pains and continual learning experiences," LeFevre said. "But I expect that to end by the time the second round of conference games start and for us to be at our best at that time."